Toy



M. I. GLASS ETAL TOY July 20, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25. 1963 0/900 r9 @fl/PLOW 5 6 HENRY S A V JMIMMIJ July 20, 1965 M. l. GLASS ETAL TOY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23, 1963 w% w ww um mm m fizz [12222 5 /74/PV//V 1. 6.44.5.5

' 4200 14. 54 940 HENRY STAN YUM, MM;

July 20, 1965 M. 1. GLASS ETAL TOY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 25, 1963 [III/II a/Paa/v ,9 66%40/44 6 HENRY sT/wv 1d (Mvwo, M,

aha/a M y 1965 M. 1. GLASS ETAL 3, 5,

' TOY Filed Jan. 23. 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent Filed Jan. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 253,305 2 Claims. (Ci. 84102) The present invention relates to toy musical instruments, and particularly to toy pianos, and an object is to generally improve toy pianos and to provide a semi-automatic musical instrument or piano, which will give the operator thereof a feeling that he is actually playing the music himself.

A further object is to provide such an instrument which can play a variety of tunes or selections. Still another object is to provide an action for a toy instrument of this type which is simple and easy to fabricate, and which at the same time is effective enough to give pleasing results which are satisfactory for this class of instrument.

More specifically, an object is to provide a toy instrument in the shape of a piano which operates by means of a rotating cylinder controlling the hammers by a series of lugs which engage and operate the hammers as the cylinder rotates. The cylinder is rotated by repeated pressure on a single bar which simulates a keyboard, and the mechanism is so constituted that each pressure on the keyboard will cause the playing of one note, chord, or beat of the music, so that the young player has but to press repeatedly on the dummy keyboard whereupon the piano will play an intelligible tune, and in time to the pressing of the keyboard. The child therefore gets the feeling (since each pressure on the keyboard results in another beat in the music) that he is in tact playing the music himself, and playing selections that are actually far beyond his skill.

A further object is to provide such a mechanism which may be quickly changed to play a different tune, and which by changing cylinders can be made to play a substantially unlimited variety of selections.

In the drawings:

[FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an instrument of the type contemplated, embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a cylinder or roller constituting part of the mechanism of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the sounding board and its attached parts;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the device with parts removed and others broken away to show what lies beneath;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 5, with parts broken away;

FIGURE 9 is a similar view showing a fragment of the mechanism at the left end of the instrument;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of certain mechanism indicated in FIGURES 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6;-

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary rear elevation taken on the line 1 111 1 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary perspective of certain mechanism indicated in FIGURE 6.

An instrument embodying the invention is shown as a whole in FIGURE 1, and comprises a case 14, having foot portions 16 and a key-bed 18. Simulated pedals 20 are provided similar to those on old-time player pianos, and a simulated keyboard 22 is carried in key-bed 18 and is easily depressible, as will appear. Depressing keyboard 22 actuates the mechanism, and a shift lever 24 makes it possible to readily shift from one tune to another within a limited range. Sounding elements 26 are preferably visible through an opening 28 in case 14 and are struck as by hammers 30 to sound the notes of the various tunes.

Keyboard 22, while appearing as the series of keys of the usual piano keyboard, is actually a solid or unitary bar or beam having a rearwardly extending ear 32, FIG- URE 4, pivoted to a wall 34 of case 14 by means of a suitable pin 36. At its other end keyboard 22 has an arm or lever 38 pivoted to another wall portion 40 of case 14 on a pivot or pin 42. Arm 38 has an extension 44 which projects rearwardly of pin 42 and has a pawl 46 (FIGURE 5) pivoted thereto on a pin 48, and having a point 50 engaged with the teeth 51 of a ratchet wheel 52. Wheel 52 is fixed on a rotatable stub shaft 54 (see also FIGURE 8) as by riveting to a flange portion 56, and point 50 and teeth 51 are so oriented that upward movement of pawl 46 will cause clockwise rotation of wheel 52 as seen in FIGURE 5. A spring 58 returns keyboard 22 to its upper position when released, and a pad 60 of soft material limits the downward movement of keyboard 22 and prevents the production of undesirable noise.

The movement of keyboard 22 is preferably so limited that each single depression thereof will advance ratchet wheel 52 to the extent of one tooth and not more, for a purpose to appear.

Shaft 54 has an irregular projection or boss 62 which fits into a complementary opening in the end Wall 64 of a cylinder or roller 66, which is therefore rotated by reason of rotation of ratchet wheel 52. The opposite end .wall 68 (FIGURE 9) of cylinder 66 is pivoted on a stud 70 which extends from an irregularly shaped stubshaft 7 2 slidable in a boss 74 carried by above mentioned wall 34, and pressed toward the right or toward shaft 54 by a spring 76. When st-ud 70 is withdrawn from wall 68 by grasping a pin 78 and compressing spring 76, roller 66 may be withdrawn from b05562 and removed from the instrument, the back of case 14 being open at 80 (FIGURE 6). Other rollers may be easily substituted forroller 66, and each roller will play a plurality of tunes, as will be apparent presently.

Roller 66, as seen in FIGURES 2, 4 and 6, is provided with a series of rows of lugs or bosses 82, individual rows being designated 84, 86 and 88. Bosses 82 of any individual row are positioned to contact and raise a pallet portion on one of the hammers 30, causing it to be activated to strike one of the sounding elements 26. The lugs of any one row are spaced preferably equal to or in multiples of the angular spacing of the teeth of ratchet wheel 52 in a pattern so as to play the note corresponding to the hammer which they actuate, at the proper time or times when it occurs in some predetermined tune. In the present instance, hammer 30 is being actuated by the lugs 82 in row 86 in FIGURE 4. Row 84 has a different pattern of lugs, which will actuate the hammer for a dilferent tune, while row 88 has a still different pattern. Rows 84 and 88 are idle in the adjustment of the instrument shown in FIGURE 4, but can be brought into position to actuate hammer 30 in a novel manner. Similarly another hammer 92 is being actuated in FIGURE 4 by a row 94 of lugs similar to row 86, but of course having its lugs positioned in a pattern to actuate hammer 92 at the proper times to play the same tune being played by row 86. A row 96 will actuate hammer 92 to play the same tune as row 84, and a row 98 will actuate hammer 92 to play the same tune as row 88. Thus, it will be apparent that three tunes are available on roller 66 by aligning the several hammers With the appropriate rows of lugs, and

J for this purpose the hammers and their sounding elements are shiftable.

Sounding elements 26, of which there is one for each hammer, are carried on a sounding board or unit 100 (FIGURES 3-6) comprising a plate portion 102 and a box portion 104, which tends to stiffen plate portion 102 and also acts as a resonator for the sounding element, an opening 106 being provided through plate portion 102 leading into box portion 104 behind each sounding element.

Plate portion 102 has projecting wing or guide portions 108 and 110 which are carried in slots 112 and 114 in above mentioned walls 34 and 40, so as to be movable in the direction of its length, and sounding elements 26 are carried on plate portion 102 by means of suitable pins 116 and 118 in the manner of a Xylophone so that the elements or bars will ring freely when struck by the hammers. Furthermore, all the hammers including hammers 30 and 92 are also supported from plate portion 102 in a manner to be described, so that plate portion 102 can be shifted in case 14 without disturbing the relation between the hammers and their sounding elements. Plate portion 102 has a pin 120 engaged by the forked arm 122 l of above mentioned lever 24, which is pivoted on a fulcrum 126 to be swingable from side to side. When lever 24 is shifted, for example, to the right, as seen in FIG- URES l and 4, plate portion 102 is shifted to the left, guide portions 108 and 110 sliding in walls 34 and 40, and the hammers are shifted to register with new rows of lugs to play a different tune from what they would in their former location. Lever 24 swings in a gate or quadrant portion 128 of case 14, which has a plurality of notches 130 corresponding to the number of tunes available on cylinder 66, and lever 24 engages one or another of said notches by means of a detent portion 131, and which serves to retain plate portion 102 in position so that the hammers will register accurately with the several rows of lugs. Since pallet portions 90 are quite narrow, manufacturingtolerances can be generous, and quite a number of tunes can be madeavailable on cylinder 66, without requiring more than a reasonable degree of accuracy in manufacture.

To obtain a clear tone it is necessary that hammers 30, 02, etc., normally rest clear of sounding elements 26, and a simple action has been devised which will assure this, as well as to'impel the hammers into contact with the sounding elements at the proper time when released by lugs 82, and to snatch them back and in effect catch them on the rebound to prevent unwanted repetition of the struck notes.

Each of hammers 30, 92, etc. is secured between a pair of brackets 132, best shown in FIGURE 3, fixed on plate portion 102, each pair being aligned with, and disposed beneath one of sounding elements 26. Brackets '132 provide openings 134, each aligned with the openings in the other brackets, and in which a rod or shaft 136 (see also FIGURES 11 and 12) is secured to serve as a common fulcrum for all the hammers. Each hammer has a hub 138 journaled on rod 136, and which fits freely between brackets 132 and maintains the hammer centered in the space between the brackets so that pallet 90 will always register accurately with a selected row of lugs 82.

Each hammer has a rearwardly 'directed'arm, tongue, or portion 140 extending through a suitable opening in plate 102 between brackets 132, and between other spaced brackets or braces 142 disposed substantially vertically.

between plate 102 and a shelf or rail 144. Brackets142 have notches 146 aligned with each other along the length of shelf 144, and each of arms 140 has a notch 140 substantially aligned with notches 146 when the hammers are in their rest or neutral position, spaced slightly from sounding elements 26. A strip of flexible resilient rubber or rubber-like material 150 is disposed in the aligned notches 146 and 148, fastened at its ends 4 in any suitable manner, and preferably tensioned to the extent necessary to give the hammers a quick impulse toward the sounding elements when stretched upwardly between braces 142 by contact of a lug 82 with pallet 20,

and then released by passage of the lug beyond the pallet. The hammer will then strike the sounding element, rebound, and be arrested by the tension of strip 156 in the desired rest position, spaced from the sounding element so as not to interfere with the tone. Strip also serves to eliminate noise during the operation of the hammers. In this respect, it will be noted that, in addition to the rubber cushion 60 for silencing the downward motion of the keyboard 22, there are provided additional means for eliminating mechanical noise which would otherwise detract from the musical effect provided by the described toy. The movement of keyboard 22 upwardly is halted by a rubber or otherwise resilient cushion 151 (FIGURE 5) which is engaged by a downwardly extending portion 153 secured to the underside of the keyboard. Then too,

the pawl point 50 and detent 156 are also preferably coated or otherwise provided with a resilient surface and wheel 56 is preferably made of plastic to further eliminate noise from the action of the toy.

It is possible that vigorous striking of keyboard 22 might result in overrun of cylinder 66 and thereby make the music unintelligible, and to prevent this a detent lever 152 is provided fulcrumed on a pin 154, and having a boss 156 pressed against wheel 52, so as to ride on the teeth 51 thereof. Boss 156 is preferably pressed against wheel 52 with suficient force to overcome any momentum in cylinder 66, and wheel 52, to prevent more than one tooth from passing beneath it upon each actuation of keyboard 22 and pawl 46. '7

Detent boss 156 also serves to yieldingly lock wheel 52 and cylinder 66 in one or another of a series of predetermined positions whenever keyboard 22 is released, being any one ofthe positions immediately after lugs 82 have passed beyond pallets 90 of whichever hammers were actuated on the last downward movement of keyboard 22. In other words, the mechanism is prevented from stopping at any point between the several positions determined by the full upward travel of point 50 of pawl 46. By reason of the spacing of lugs S2 angularly equal to that of the teeth 51 of wheel 52, as hereinbefore described, all of lugs 82 will be clear of pallets 90 in any of these positions, so that hammers 30 together with sounding board 102 may be shifted freely by means of lever 24 without interference between lugs 82 and pallets 90.

If desired, a plurality of metal or other Washers 158 may be supported on pins 116 in loose contact with sounding elements 26, so as to jangle as the notes are sounded and give a honky tonk effect. In this respect, an improved tone is achieved by bending the washers outwardly, as seen in FIGURE 7, so as to eliminate or minimize any tendency of the washer to dampen the tone.

, It is to be noted that the whole device lends itself to ready fabrication from plastics, stampings, die-castings, or the like, and to easy, rapid, and secure assembly. For example, plate portion 102 may be a fiat piece of plastic having hook-like portions 160 which engage the edges of a plate 162 which carries pins 116 and the other parts of the Xylophone assembly. Thus, the Xylophone may be manufactured separately and put in place by merely inserting it between hooks 160, and springing it past a boss 162a, a similar boss 164 preventing displacement once plate 162 is located. The case 14 may be a plastic unit, walls 34 and 40 stampings, while keyboard 22, cylinder 66, and.

most of the mechanism may be made of plastic with satisfactory results.

In operation, a selected cylinder 66 is placed on boss 62 and held in placerby the force of spring '76 acting through slidable stub shaft 72. This insures that there will be no end-play so that lugs 82 will align accurately with pallets 90. Then keyboard 22 is struck repeatedly in a rythmic manner, and upon each actuation, cylinder 66 is advanced to the amount of one tooth on ratchet wheel 52. By reason of the spacing of lugs 82, this advance actuates the necessary hammer or hammers to play one beat or chord of the selected tune. The next actuation plays the next chord, and so on, so that the youngster gets the feeling that each time he strikes the keyboard he plays a part of the tune. When he tires of the tune he shifts lever 24, thus moving the sounding board and its attached parts including the entire set of hammers to a different set of lugs 32, whereupon a different tune is played upon actuation of the keyboard. In this way, the child is given a sense of accomplishment, and introduced to the pleasure of producing satisfying music by his own efforts.

It is to be noted that the tune will be played at a rate corresponding to that at which the young musician repeats his striking of the keyboard, and to that extent he has control of the music being played. This experience may transfer to his later efforts in the more serious study of music.

Although shown and described with respect to a particular embodiment, it will be apparent that various modifications might be made without departing from the principles of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy piano comprising a case, a sounding board slidably supported in said case, a set of sounding elements on said sounding board, a set of hammers pivotally supported on said sounding board in position to strike corresponding ones of said sounding elements, a cylinder rotatably supported in said case in proximity to said hammers, means for rotating said cylinder, a set of rows of circumferentially disposed lugs on said cylinder, said rows of lugs being spaced axially of said cylinder, to correspond with the spacing of said hammers, and the individual lugs being positioned to contact said hammers and to impel them to strike said sounding elements, and said lugs also being so spaced circumferentially as to cause said hammers to play a tune on said sounding elements by reason of rotation of said cylinder, other sets of rows of lugs on said cylinder axially spaced from the first mentioned rows, and so spaced circumferentially as to cause said hammers to play a different tune by reason of rotation of said cylinder, and means for shifting said sounding board with its sounding elements and hammers into position so that said hammers will be contacted and actuated by said other sets of rows of lugs, so that subsequent rotation of said cylinder will play a different tune.

2. A toy piano comprising a case, a simulated one-piece keyboard supported on said case for vertical movement, a sounding board slidably supported in said case, a set of sounding elements supported on said sounding board, a set of spaced-apart hammers pivotally supported on said sounding board in fixed positions relative to said sounding elements so as to be in position to strike corresponding ones of said sounding elements, a cylinder rotatably supported in said case in proximity to said hammers, means operatively connecting said keyboard with sia d cylinder for rotating said cylinder in response to vertical movement of said keyboard, a set of rows of circumferentially disposed lugs on said cylinder, said rows of lugs being spaced axially of said cylinder to correspond with the spacing of said hammers and the individual lugs being positioned to contact said hammers and to impel them to strike said sounding elements, and said lugs also being so spaced circumferentially as to cause said hammers to play a tune on said sounding elements by reason of rotation of said cylinder, other sets of rows of lugs on said cylinder axially spaced from the first mentioned rows and so spaced circurnterentially as to cause said hammers to play a different tune by reason of rotation of said cylinder, and means for laterally shifting said sounding board together with its sounding elements and hammers into any one of a plurality of defined positions relative to said cylinder so that said hammers will be contacted and actuated by one set of rows of said lugs upon rotation of said cylinder, and whereby further lateral shifting of said sounding board will position said hammers for actuation by another set of rows of said lugs to play a difierent tune upon rotation of said cylinder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,638,327 8/ 27 Eckstein 8495 2,501,022 3/50 Boyle 84-404 X 2,504,915 4/50 Zimmerman 84403 2,630,040 3/53 Fraysur 84-102 2,812,680 11/57 Fedoryszyn 84102 2,882,778 4/59 Scot-t 84-95 LEO SMELOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TOY PIANO COMPRISING A CASE, A SOUNDING BOARD SLIDABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID CASE, A SET OF SOUNDING ELEMENTS ON SAID SOUNDING BOARD, A SET OF HAMMERS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID SOUNDING BOARD IN POSITION TO STRIKE CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID SOUNDING ELEMENTS, A CYLINDER ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID CASE IN PROXIMITY TO SAID HAMMERS, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CYLINDER, A SET OR ROWS OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED LUGS ON SAID CYLINDER, SAID ROWS OF LUGS BEING SPACED AXIALLY OF SAID CYLINDER, TO CORRESPOND WITH THE SPACING OF SAID HAMMERS, AND THE INDIVIDUAL LUGS BEING POSITIONED TO CONTACT SAID HAMMERS AND TO IMPEL THEM TO STRIKE SAID SOUNDING ELEMENTS, AND SAID LUGS ALSO BEING SO SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AS TO CAUSE SAID HAMMERS TO PLAY A TUNE ON SAID SOUNDING ELEMENTS BY REASON OF ROTATION OF SAID CYLINDER, OTHER SETS OF ROWS OF LUGS ON SAID CYLINDER AXIALLY SPACED FROM THE FIRST MENTIONED ROWS, AND SO SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AS TO CAUSE SAID HAMMERS TO PLAY A DIFFERENT TUNE BY REASON OF ROTATION OF SAID CYLINDER, AND MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID SOUNDING BOARD WITH ITS SOUNDING ELEMENTS AND HAMMERS INTO POSITION SO THAT SAID HAMMERS WILL BE CONTACTED AND ACTUATED BY SAID OTHER SETS OF ROWS OF LUGS, SO THAT SUBSEQUENT ROTATION OF SAID CYLINDER WILL PLAY A DIFFERENT TUNE. 